Rollin.....I would have done EXACTLY what you did....sounds like you handled it fine.

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Two scenarios for you. You have a 3 day hunt, and shoot something on the first day for $1500. Do you tip for one day or all 3 days?

Number 2 scenario. You're after a $5000 whitetail for 3 days, you get him on day 3, $300 is not 10%, so what do you do there?

I wouldn't tip off the total bill. Here's why, you're after a $1250 blackbuck male, you have a 3 day tripped planned, and you harvest on the 2nd night. That's a $125 tip right there. At our lodge, its around $100 a night, so that's totals up around $350 or so. I know $35 isn't much, but the people at the lodge deserve that, not your guide.

I'm a FIRM believer in "YOU TAKE CARE OF THE ONES WHO TAKE CARE OF YOU". So I TIP. BUT in my opinion, a TIP is extra, NOT a given. So if you are not happy w/ your wages, talk to your Employer or find another career

5 day hunt package. $500.00 tip.
Kill early on day 3, still should be a $500.00 tip.
Tip for total # of days anticipated.
Of course the cook, maid, etc. would get a separate tip. (Definetely not as much as the guide).
Our last trip there were 2 hunters per guide. We eached tipped $100.00 per day for 5 days ($500 each). We only stayed 3 days though.
Course our guide was great and a blast to be around. He also worked his tail off for us.
If he had been a jack leg, we would have given him significantly less.

Also keep in mind if the guide the outfitter, or just a person that works for the outfitter.

Longhorn, I understand what you just said, but can you answer my question directly. The reason I ask, is because on our ranch, you don't pay for an animal until blood is drawn.

The guides make an outfitter. There are lots of hours spent sitting in hot stands, lots of miles walked, just a lot of work that goes into knowing where, and how to find deer on any given place. Even with all that it's a bit of a crap-shoot...deer aren't known for keeping appointments.

TSU-
interesting question.
I guess if was treated right and the guide worked his butt off, and i didn't take an animal, i would still tip him.
If i never saw a deer and guide was lazy and put forh no effort, then I would tell the outfitter and only tip the maid/cook etc.
Thats an awesome policy by the way TSU. i commend you for it.

I was a guide for 20 years , I charged my guide fee and learned not to expect a tip . You learned how to take care of each group of clients the way that they needed to be taken care of and go that extra mile to satisfy them and the tips would happen . Very rarely would you not get a tip and most of the time it would be 20 to 40 percent . I think if you are pleased with your guides services you should tip him accordingly as to what you can afford. He will definitely remember you the next time .

I cannot afford guided hunts but if i did i would want the tips included in the hunt cost. I like to know the bottom line on anything before i commit.

I had clients that would save to go on a trip once a year and I had clients that could afford to fish or hunt every week and I always took care of them the best I could to make their trip the most enjoyable . I didn't expect the tips but they almost always happened and the majority of them were repeat customers . I always let them know that I was very appreciative of their business and still today I stay in close contact with some of them , I think most of the guides still feel this way . So I think you should go with the way you feel and what you can afford and I hope all of your trips are pleasant because guiding is hard work .

I Can not believe we are even discussing this. You tip a dumb waitress 15 % just to bring your drink/food to your table at Applebees or a bartender for just pouring a drink in your glass, but you are wondering about 10% for your guide? I dont know about the others but guides have intimate knowledge of the land and the game you are after, also skinning, carring the hide and horns off the mountain for you, some of the LESS FIT hunters even need thier rifles carried for them ect....come on, really?

I tip 20% for a good guide. Unfortunately, I also tip bad guides but not as much. Most guides work for the outfitter and are paid a set amount per hunter and tips are considered extra. On a successful hunt, in addition to the tip, I will buy my guide lunch or dinner and a bottle of his favorite booze. I figure if he can haul my fat butt all over the mountains, call for elk, and pack out an elk carcas...I should be so lucky.

That seems like a lot but I guess $50 on a $200 doe hunt would be ok. However I think it depends. If they just drive you out and put you and a stand and do nothing else then one should tip accordingly.

On our trophy 3 day buck hunts, I usually expect a $250 tip if I'm with the guy the whole time. If we tag out in one or two sits the $100 is fine.

I've been tipped $1400 for one hunt.

Tips are relative to the type of game being harvested. I would say a good average would be around 15%.

If you ever plan on returning to hunt a ranch in the future, take care of your guide, they do know where the big animals live and we do remember poor tippers

Im not a fan of tipping.

Your running a business, you know what your expenses are and you know what you stand to make off of it. Plan for the worst and anything esle is a plus. I dont colect a salary and I dont get tips either. If you need 15% more cash to make guiding worth while to you then add 15% to the price. When you hire a person good service should be expected, no need for a tip, however good service comes at a cost.

matt

On a ranch, your gaining access to the property and paying for the animal. Guides are like subcontractors, they may collect a daily fee from the ranch owner, but are still not employees.

In most cases, the guides and ranch personnel know more about the game and animal movements than the ranch owner does, so your dependent on them in a way to find what your looking for.

It's not as simple as tacking on another 15%

I think that tipping should be a personal thing and also a total bill thing. What i mean by that is this. I just went and hunted for two days and my bill was 2750 I tipped the guide 400 and the ranch hand 100. I thought that was good, but if i spent 20000 i would not tip a whole lot more

Hornsby,

I think you were right in line with your tipping.

I would be curious to know the average salary and work hours for guides. Its easy to understand tipping for wait staff and stylists.. How many people tip the guy that cuts their yard? I bet they work every bit as hard as any outfitter.?

The average guide makes about $100 a day. So tipping is important to him, if he does a great job! I will tip normally about 15% of the kill fee ie $2000.00 kill equals $300.00 tip if the guide does his job.

We had one guide that only looked for an animal we shot for 45 minutes and then headed home. It was 108 degrees but we had a wounded animal, never did find the animal until 3 weeks later with a helicopter. That guide got no tip.....

You've obviously never done any guiding or outfitting.

Depending on the ranch I'm at, I make from $175/day-$250/day+tips

Includes my meals,lodging,drinks,etc

Like Clean I've been on both ends of this equation a number of times. If a guide busts his hump, he gets a good tip from me. If not, I at least tip him enough that he knows I didn't forget.

As far as receiving tips, I've got between 20% and Zip. I never expect them or bank on them, but they are appreciated and help incent me to sign up for the job again next year.